Blog

10 May 20175 steps to creating a dream pool

As Homify says, “A natural extension to an indoor living space, home swimming pools can be tailored to contemporary tastes or even to traditional design aesthetics.” The best way to ensure you create a pool that reflects your tastes, complements your property and is perfect for your needs, is to work with a talented and experienced pool designer. To help you achieve the results you want, take a look at our five tips for working with a professional pool designer.

1. Find the right designer
If you’re going to create the pool of your dreams, you need to choose the right designer for your project. Make sure you select a designer whose style and approach you can identify with. There are a surprising variety of designers out there, so put a little time into researching and finding the designer that’s right for you. Most importantly, you should choose a designer from a company that works to SPATA standards; this will ensure that your pool is design to the highest-quality specifications.

2. Look at previous designs
As part of your research, take a look at different pool designers’ previous work; it will help you to see what’s possible. However, you should remember that what they display on their website and brochures will be a small sample of the options open to you. When you’ve shortlisted designers, arrange meetings and ask them to talk you through their work, describing the briefs for each project and how their designs met the client's’ expectations. Even if there are aspects of the case study pools that don’t appeal to you, discussing your ideas in relation to completed pools will help to clarify your swimming pool plans and test if the designers are good at listening and tailoring ideas to fit your needs.

3. Discuss how you’re going to use the pool
Your pool designer will want to know everything about your intended use for the pool and where it is to be installed - indoor, outdoors, upstairs, or downstairs - even on the roof! It’s important to think about exactly who will be using your swimming pool at an early stage, and what you intend to use it for. Will it be mainly for exercise, or are you going to use it as a social pool for friends and family? Will small children, or people of a variety of age groups use the pool? Are clever space-saving options required? Does the pool need to be flexible for the mobility needs of any user? Talking to your designer about your requirements will give them all the information needed to make sure the pool design meets your precise needs.

4. Be honest
Be sure about the pool elements you choose – for example, the interior finishes and the surround – to avoid costly changes down the line. In order to make your dream pool a reality, it’s important that you’re honest with your designer throughout the process. If you don’t like something, discuss it with your designer as soon as possible. This will give you the opportunity to either amend the plans or find out why a certain element has been designed the way it has. Most good designers will be open to your input and will be happy to discuss the plans with you at every stage.

However, do bear in mind that you may suggest something that your designer advises will not work well aesthetically or technically. Whilst this is ‘your baby’, it’s very important to take on board the advice of the professionals, as their only motivation is to build you a pool that works superbly and looks sensational.

5. Keep talking
Throughout the process, it’s essential that you keep the lines of communication open. Maintaining a dialogue through every stage of the swimming pool build will ensure everyone knows exactly where they stand and ensure any issues are ironed out quickly. Close teamwork will ensure the pool building process runs smoothly and the pool commissioning day, a very happy one!

At London Swimming Pool Company we specialise in swimming pool design, construction and refurbishment, so if you need advice on a brand new pool, contact us for an initial discussion – there’s no substitute for expert advice.